Day 14… Make Ahead Freezer Mashed Potatoes

This warm and creamy comfort food is not difficult to make, but does require a bit of prep work.  What with the peeling and boiling and all.  So I like to save time by making a large batch and freezing them ahead in meal-sized portions. 

But even if you don’t want to freeze them, go ahead and make them up to the point of baking the day before your big event.  It makes for almost no work the day you serve them :)

In case you don’t already have a mashed potato recipe, this is the recipe I use:

FREEZER MASHED POTATOES

10 lbs. potatoes
2 cloves garlic (optional, but I always use)
8 oz. cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
1/4 to 1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon salt

Optional:  Chopped chives, bacon, shredded cheese

Peel, quarter and place potatoes in large pan.  Cover completely with water and add garlic cloves.  Boil potatoes until tender.  Remove garlic cloves and drain well. 

In a large bowl mash potatoes and stir in softened cream cheese, sour cream, butter, and salt.  I do this in batches with my Kitchenaid, then combine it all together in a large bowl before packaging for the freezer.    

Freezer Directions:  Spoon potatoes into freezer bags or casserole dish and freeze.  Divide it out into smaller portions if you need less servings.  I like to also have some smaller bags for use in recipes like shepherd’s pie, etc.

To Serve:  Thaw completely in refrigerator.  Pour into a casserole dish (if you used freezer bags).  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes, until heated through.  Stir occasionally to make sure they are heating evenly.  They may look watery when you first heat them, but don’t panic!  As they heat through and you stir them, it will turn back to the original consistency.  

Near the end of reheating, I like to stir in a bit more butter and/or sour cream, then sprinkle cheese on top :)

You’ll love having mashed potatoes handy in the freezer!